JUST IN: Inter Miami aims to shock PSG in the Club World Cup: “Why can’t we?”

Fresh off winning Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League titles, and boasting world-class talent at every position, Paris Saint-Germain have a strong case for being dubbed the best club team in the world.

But they are fallible.

Inter Miami CF midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi observed as much ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster match, when his side meets the French powerhouse in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (12 pm ET | DAZN.com).

We saw Botafogo do it. So, why can’t we?” Cremaschi posed on the It’s Called Soccer podcast.

 

Fresh off winning Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League titles, and boasting world-class talent at every position, Paris Saint-Germain have a strong case for being dubbed the best club team in the world. But they are fallible.

Inter Miami CF midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi observed as much ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster match, when his side meets the French powerhouse in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (12 pm ET | DAZN.com).

 

“We saw Botafogo do it. So, why can’t we?” Cremaschi posed on the It’s Called Soccer podcast.

Dreaming big. 

Cremaschi, of course, was referring to when PSG suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat in the CWC Group Stage to one of Brazil’s biggest teams. Through a combination of stout defense and a counter-attack finish from Igor Jesus, Botafogo accomplished what few expected.

 

That approach offers a potential blueprint for Inter Miami when the whistle blows at Atlanta United’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Herons fully recognize they’re underdogs – by quite some margin – and are looking to shock the world.

 

“People have been asking me about analyzing and reviewing the competition and how we did,” head coach Javier Mascherano said in Saturday’s matchday-1 press conference.

 

“I feel that the message I need to convey is that it’s not set and done yet. There is one match that we need to play.

 

“We know that we are coming up against an opponent that is incredibly strong, world-class – one of the very best in the world. But this is football and tomorrow we need to play the very best match possible. We have to play a perfect match for us so that we have the possibility within the match to be able to compete, to be able to have a chance to overcome this challenge.”

Messi reunion

As many superstars as PSG boast, Inter Miami have arguably the biggest game-changer of them all: Lionel Messi.

 

The Argentine icon played two seasons at PSG before completing his transformative move to MLS in July 2023. That history adds serious intrigue, though Inter Miami players and Mascherano have largely avoided the topic all week.

 

What’s certain is Inter Miami will likely need another virtuoso performance from their captain, much like when his free-kick golazo delivered a historic 2-1 victory over FC Porto. Which is to take nothing away from Luis Suárez, who turned back the clock with one goal and one assist in a 2-2 draw vs. Palmeiras that made the Herons the first MLS team to reach the Club World Cup knockout phase.

 

In short, Inter Miami’s veterans and youngsters alike will need to be virtually mistake-free to secure arguably the biggest result in league history.

 

“They’re going into this game telling us that we have to believe we can win,” defender Noah Allen told CBS Sports Golazo America earlier this week.

 

“We’re not going to shy away from it just because they are probably the best team in the world. We played a great game against Porto, and we played a great game against Palmeiras. We feel like as long as we believe in ourselves and we believe that we can make it far in this tournament, then good things can come to us.”

 

Can Inter Miami pull off the upset against Paris Saint-Germain?

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For his part, Mascherano hopes Inter Miami embrace the occasion.

 

“I don’t know how many times we’re going to get this chance again, to do this as a club, to be able to go up against an opponent such as PSG,” said Mascherano. “Tomorrow we have that opportunity and we have to take advantage of this opportunity.”

 

With that mentality, perhaps the Herons can defy the odds and book a quarterfinal date vs. Flamengo (Brazil) or Bayern Munich (Germany).

 

“Everyone probably thought we weren’t going to get a single point in this Club World Cup,” said Cremaschi. “We weren’t looking too great with the play that we had before.

 

“Having achieved this and playing the way we’re playing, competing the way we’re competing, is huge for the club. It shows the quality of players we have when we’re focused, when we have a big ambition to win.”

Inter Miami CF aren’t just competing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. They’re making history.

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Jonathan Sigal –

@JonathanSigal